Forge (Revision 1458)

Forge, the map editor first introduced to the Halo franchise in Halo 3, will be returning as a feature in Halo 4. Forge has since then gone through several improvements, and expands off of Halo: Reach's already refined map editing experience.

Unlike Halo: Reach which only featured one map with forge in mind, Halo 4 features three. Each of the three maps will have a different type of environment. One of the three maps is named The Ravine and features an environment similar to Halo: Reach's Forge World. It can be seen in the video below. Much like Forge World, The Ravine's item pallet consists of Forerunner objects.

Several new features and improvements introduced in Halo 4's forge mode include:

Improved object selection, objects are highlighted and their names are displayed when the crosshairs are placed over them.

Objects can be duplicated.

Objects can be locked in place, preventing any objects from being accidentally moved.

A magnet button has been added, which can be used to snap objects onto others for smoother surfaces.

Trait zones have been added. Much like the custom power-up from Halo 3, a player's traits upon entering this zone can be altered. Such traits include player speed, gravity, jump height, shields, health, invisibility, invulnerability, inability to board vehicles, etc...

In the demo available below, there is a $1 million budget, it is unconfirmed whether or not this will be the budget in the release build of Halo 4.

There will not be an undo button and the time of day on the map cannot be altered.

Dynamic lighting for forged objects has been added. This means objects placed in forge will now cast shadows.

The newly added dynamic lighting for forged objects creates a split second delay when switching from the monitor mode to the player mode, as objects do not cast shadows when in monitor mode and need to be rendered to do so when switching.